Guest guest Report post Posted October 12, 2007 I have wanted to understand the difference between pain and suffering... as I feel it. Now, I think understand them somewhat. Pain is a brain signal such as when a thorn enter my body, my body aches or when I get a headache. It has none to extremely little corresponding chemical [hormonal] component. Suffering that I feel, on the other hand... is mostly to totally only a chemical [hormonal] phenomenon and it is due to release " burning " hormones into the bloodstream. Anger, fear, greed, shame, guilt all of them " feel " bad. They feel bad because hormones that they release in the bloodstream feels harsh, painful, hot and burning. But, the " pain " they give is different than the pain of headache or of thorn in the body. If you have paid attention to how a thorn in body feels versus... versus how feeling " sad " , " depressed " , angry, frightened or greedy feels, you already know that difference. Similarly, Peace feels different than Bliss. When there are no 'extra' brain signals, when no part of the body [or brain] is demanding attention due to pain, discomfort or unease... what I feel is Peace. It is 'brain at ease', it is feeling of calmness, silence, serenity... but, it is not bliss. Bliss is when the body [the bloodstream] gets filled with the cool, warm, soothing, euphoric hormones of " love " , joy... euphoria. Consuming some external chemicals such as alcohol or other psychedelic drugs too produces a state similar to " bliss " because ultimately it is just some 'chemicals in the blood'... but, that state is not Peace. In fact, while in Peace... the brain can be in a very relaxed state; in bliss, it can be in slightly elevated state and not relaxed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 12, 2007 Nisargadatta , " adithya_comming " <adithya_comming wrote: > > I have wanted to understand the > difference between pain and > suffering... as I feel it. Now, I think > understand them somewhat. Namaste, Go outside and punch your non dual hand into a non dual wall---the result pain. Thinking about it for 6 weeks is suffering..Tony Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 13, 2007 > > Pain is a brain signal such as when a > thorn enter my body, my body aches or > when I get a headache. It has none to > extremely little corresponding chemical > [hormonal] component. > > Suffering that I feel, on the other > hand... is mostly to totally, only a > chemical [hormonal] phenomenon and it > is due to the release of the " burning " hormones > into the bloodstream. Anger, fear, > greed, shame, guilt all of them " feel " > bad. They feel bad because hormones > that they release in the bloodstream > feels harsh, painful, hot and burning. > But, the " pain " they give is different > than the pain of headache or of thorn > in the body. If you have paid attention > to how a thorn in body feels versus... > versus how feeling " sad " , " depressed " , > angry, frightened or greedy feels, you > already know that difference. > Further, I think pain and suffering can easily become quite interconnected and can then work to fuel or calm each other. Brain can interpret pain as something " bad " and 'undesirable' and with that thought... it can stimulate the flow of hormones which would " feel " like suffering. And, stress which is mostly suffering, when continued for long time, can create real physical condition such as heart-failure. And, not just that, when the hormones causing suffering keep flowing for a long time... it can really start feeling like 'pain', because, they can physically damage or change an organ internally. We already know what long-term use of drugs can do to the body and hormones are not that different than 'drugs'... neither in their chemical composition nor in their affect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
